-
Dr. Skip Gates and His Surprising Outrage
If Dr. Henry Louis Gates, a Harvard professor and well-known scholar, can be arrested in his home there’s one thing to conclude: it’s absolutely ridiculous to think we live in a post-racial America and profiling black men is part of the DNA of America. Dr. Gates misplaced his keys and simply had to break into…
-
Lawyer's Statement on the Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr.
UPDATE: The disorderly conduct charges against Henry Louis Gates Jr. were dropped on Tuesday. Statement on Behalf of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. — by Charles Ogletree This brief statement is being submitted on behalf of my client, friend, and colleague, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This is a statement concerning the arrest of Professor Gates.…
-
The Never-Ending Beef & Fascination with Street Lit
I’ve grown tired of the whole street lit debate. You know the one that tries to determine whether or not street lit—the genre categorized as sub-par tales that feature gratuitous sex and violence—deserves to be published, if it pollutes minds, if it is a good thing because it gets neglected audiences reading, and/or if it’s presence detracts…
-
The Buck Up Billboard
Let’s say you’re on the freeway driving to a job interview or driving away from the repo man and you spot a billboard that says, “Self worth is greater than net worth.” Now, you have two options: You can take a step back, ponder on that message for a minute then proceed to smile after…
-
Stay in Your Lane, Beyoncé
When I saw that Nia Long was a trending topic on Twitter, I thought either A) she died or B) she and Larenz Tate were going to do a sequel to Love Jones. Neither was true. But what was happening was even more compelling. Beyoncé was getting called out for her “acting” skills. In an…
-
A Song for Lady Day
Life is ultimately mysterious and indifferent about whom it gives much and from whom it expects a measure equal to its gifts. Those gifts are passed out with the same careless precision as handfuls of chicken feed hurled into a high wind. Billie Holiday was obviously given much more than most, and her talent revealed…
-
Really, Pat Buchanan?
THE ROOT recently ran a story about why failed, racist Republican politician turned commentator, Pat Buchanan—the devil we know—is better than the devil we don’t. Adam Serwer argued: His rants, while offensive, aren’t persuasive to anyone who doesn’t already agree with him. But they discredit the notion that the Republican Party has entirely moved on…
-
Does Gitmo Have Room for One More?
From Black Spin: “Don’t you hate it when some fool tweaks raw racial sores and the First Amendment just to get attention? Allow me to introduce you to the latest, and one of the most offensive perpetrators: Michael Hunt. Hunt, a black man, walked into a Los Angeles City Council meeting and refused to remove…
-
Bending Toward Justice
Ben Jealous is an odd fit for the position of race leader. He’s not a civil rights icon. He’s not a trailblazing elected official. Hell, he’s not even a netroots pioneer. But most of all, he’s not a very good preacher—his oratory is more strained than inspired, loaded with colloquialisms that sound dutiful rather than…
-
Double-Edged Steele
RNC Chair Michael Steele’s antics are a lot easier to explain if you consider the possibility that he’s a double agent working for President Barack Obama—ponder this… A few months back, CNN reported that Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ house slave, William Jackson, was an agent for the Union army. Davis spoke with his generals openly…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
